ABSTRACT
Treatment of secondary aliphatic 2-bromoallylamines with an excess of an organolithium compound led to saturated amines in which the organic group of the organolithium compound is incorporated at the alpha carbon. On the other hand, the successive reaction of the former amines with BuLi and t-BuLi between -80 degrees C and rt gave 1,3-diamines or hexahydropyrimidines depending on the reaction time. The formation of these unexpected products involves initial generation of lithium propargylamides, which subsequently undergo cleavage of the C propargylic-C acetylenic bond induced by the organolithium present in each case in the reaction medium. A mechanism which takes into account all the different reaction products has been proposed and additionally supported by successful trapping of dilithium acetylide.
ABSTRACT
beta-Nitrogen-functionalized vinylic organolithium compounds derived from secondary aliphatic allylamines have been found to undergo upon heating (reflux of THF) either a dimerization or a regio- and stereoselective cyclodimerization reaction affording diamino 1,4-dienes or cis-2,3-disubstituted 4-methylenepyrrolidines, respectively, according to reaction time. In contrast, the corresponding dianions derived from aromatic allylamines underwent protonation by the solvent under analogous thermal treatment. A mechanism accounting for all these results has been proposed, which involves a spontaneous beta-elimination of lithium hydride and an intramolecular nucleophilic cyclization by addition of a lithium amide to an alkene group as critical steps. In addition, experimental evidence is provided about the formation of 3-lithio-1-aza 1,3-dienes as intermediates in these unusual thermal transformations.
